Speaker Brown Hits ‘Gang of Five’

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown on Friday blasted the so-called Gang of Five dissident Democrats for their efforts to reduce the Speaker’s power, but said they would be welcomed back if they wished to work with his Democratic team.

After a speech to the San Diego Taxpayers Assn., Brown said proposed rule changes to limit the term of the Speaker to six years and require written justification before the Speaker could oust a committee chairman from his post were sour grapes rather than constructive suggestions.

“None,” Brown replied when asked if he gave any credibility to the dissident Democrats’ challenge, issued in Sacramento on Thursday in the form of a letter to legislators of both parties. “Because it doesn’t come from a base of sincerity. It comes from a base of people who sought to control and lost.”

The five have challenged Brown’s authority in recent weeks and paid the price by losing committee assignments and staff.

The signers of the letter were Assemblymen Rusty Areias (D-Los Banos), Charles Calderon (D-Montebello), Gary Condit (D-Ceres), Gerald Eaves (D-Rialto) and Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista).

Brown has been Speaker for seven years.